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Trouble sleeping...

abandy

abandy

abandy
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
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I've had a lot on my mind lately, and so I've had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, or not sleeping well/sleeping fitfully. It's making me exhausted during the day, but then when it's bedtime, I can't sleep or "shut off" my mind or my worrying.

Other than sleeping pills (no thank you!) does anyone have any "fall asleep quickly" solutions/remedies/suggestions?

Thanks ladies!
 
This is me every night...the only thing that has helped me are anti anxiety meds....but my guess is if you don't want sleeping pills..you may not want these either. And of course they are prescription.

I actually only take them if I'm having a really really bad time though....it's been a couple of months since I took one, but when I'm going through a really rough period they definitely make a difference.
 
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I've had insomnia from when I was a little kid and couldn't shut my mind down. Took me *hours* to get to sleep. So, I found ways to help (a gym teacher in middle school was strangely enough, the one who pointed out some really effective methods without meaning to)

I've discovered using relaxation techniques work well for me where you have to focus your mind on a specific place. Or writing out everything that's occupying my mind down in a notebook-lists, worries, etc. Not meant as a journal, more of a...a mental wash. That seems to work when I have a racing mind and can't shut it down. It happened a lot more when I was a kid, less now, but it still works.

Allergy meds also wipe me out--Sudafed, etc. Antihistamines. Always have. Most OTC sleep aids are actually antihistamines remarketed. Not everyone has that reaction to this class of drugs, unfortunately.

If you want a nondrug way to tire yourself out enough to get to sleep, do jumping jacks or burpees (omg those are intense) and focus on your body.
 
Since I'm also feeling a cold coming on (probably because of the whole, "not sleeping well lately" thing, so I was going to take some night time cold medicine.. turns out all we had was daytime meds. Whomp whomp.

Thanks for the advice about the jumping jacks and the "mind journal." I'm usually exhausted until I get into bed and then it's completely quiet and my mind just.. clicks on. And then I'm thinking and tossing and turning... and I know it drives my husband nuts!
 
Stretching before bed relaxes me. When I have trouble shutting off my mind, I try to pray about specific things and that helps me. And sometimes counting sheep really works, because then you are concentrating on something boring and mundane and your mind will settle down.

Not watching TV or be on the computer before bed helps. I also write in my journal before sleeping on most days.

I don't usually have trouble falling asleep. But if I wake up in the middle of the night and start thinking, I can't go back to sleep. Oh, another thing is don't have the clock facing you where you can see what time it is. That will just make you anxious if you are trying to sleep, and keep you awake if you wake up in the middle of the night. Once you see the clock you'll do math on how many hours you've slept or are missing sleep and then your brain is engaged.
 
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Oh I can relate to this and what Christine mentioned about the clock! Reading actually helps me to get to sleep, I read for 30 mins - an hour in bed every night until I am really drooping. Then when I do turn off the lights and go to sleep I am usually thinking about the novel, rather than my worries, and I go to sleep pretty quickly. Without reading I lie there for hours!

I hope you find something that helps you soon!
 
I really need to stop being on the computer so late at night and take up reading before bed again. I used to read every night in bed before I went to sleep, but with DH's schedule changes and him usually going to bed super early, I just stay on the computer, I've maybe read in bed 3 times this year, and I totally miss it. I guess it's time to start curling up in the chair and reading. It really does help me wind down at the end of day much better than browsing pinterest or facebook, anyway. My biggest issue with sleep is that I have nights where the racing thoughts overtake me like nobody's business...but I'm bipolar and suffer a lot from anxiety so it doesn't matter what I do I sometimes just can't shut it off on my own. However, I do know that there are things I can do to make other nights easier on me, and this would be a good start. We have to go to the library today, so I'm gong to pick up a couple of books for the week!
 
There are a lot of people who swear by taking melatonin. This is not generally my problem unless I just stay up too late for several days in a row. If I do have issues I'll read something completely and totally boring for a while and it helps.
 
I don't generally have a problem falling asleep but my husband does. He has been on/off sleep aids for years. I have heard great things about Melatonin. He can't take it because he has an auto immune disorder that is in remission and melatonin is a risk for recurrence, but I know many do.

Here is a web-md article on it:
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview
 
I found listening to relaxation music helps me. I used to suffer insomnia in cycles and it would last a week and I would be a mess at the end of a cycle! But then I bought a cd that I listen to that helps me sleep - its called Soothing - Music for Sleep by Dr Jeffrey Thompson . I have found it so helpful and it has got to the stage that all I have to do is turn the darn thing on and I am asleep in minutes.

Of course everyone is different and listening to music at night may not be your thing - but I hope you find something that helps - sleep deprivation is awful and I really feel for you.
 
I like drugs. I'm a fan of them :P (KIDDING)
I've been having good luck with that new ZQuil stuff from NyQuil.
 
I do number puzzles (kakuro) every night in bed. They're just challenging enough to focus my brain, and it's not like reading an exciting story that I might get caught up in and end up staying awake longer.

Years ago I had a job working at customer sites, and if I was on an especially stressful project, I would fall asleep listening to DH's old Zig Ziglar motivational cassette tapes (I did say it was years ago) on a headset in my hotel room. I found something about his voice and positive attitude calming enough that I was able to relax a bit and get through it one day (night) at a time. :)


Hope you find something that helps you. Dealing with worry and adding on sleep difficulties is no fun. (((hugs)))
 
reading. Read a bit, with a bit of hot tea with lemon and voila!
 
and here i am at midnight still on the computer (this was not what I had planned..lol)...gonna log off and try to spend some time reading before I get sucked into pinterest or facebook or something of the kind.
 
A warm shower or bath, reading and indeed a cup of hot tea :) That's what I do almost every evening!
 
I have to have our overhead fan on for white noise and then I have to read every night to settle my mind down from the day. Sometimes it only takes me a few pages, but sometimes I get hooked on the reading and stay up way too late. :)
 
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